


Fishy and The Scorpion

by reaperlight



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Based on a Tumblr Post, Cliche Storm, Crack, Fandom Allusions & Cliches & References, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Horoscopes, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Alternating, Partnership, Post-Yotsuba Arc, Yotsuba Arc, improbable scenarios
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:17:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3584412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reaperlight/pseuds/reaperlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At a loss about what to do about his closest companion becoming Kira again, L figures he has nothing to lose in checking his horoscope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fishy and The Scorpion

**Author's Note:**

> Written for http://lux-mea-lex.tumblr.com/

L crouched, protectively huddled in on himself and tried to look anywhere but the monitors where _his_ beautiful brunet whispered in the bubbly blonde’s ear until Aizawa took that option away from him and rudely turned it off, scolding him—because after all, shouldn’t he let “the happy couple” have some time to themselves? Hadn’t L put them through enough? 

How had it gone so wrong?

He’d failed. He was so focused on catching Kira that he failed to truly _see_ Light, to _save_ Light. All it had taken was a split second of inattention, just one second of shock upon seeing the Shinigami for Light to grab the note and, just like that, _his_ Light was gone and Kira had returned. What was worse was that L was sure _his Light_ was still in there but L was at a loss of how to get through to him. Light had reverted to the passive-aggressive hostility he held for him half a year ago as if all that they had had never been. 

L knew what he should do—in fact the way forward seemed _painfully_ clear: test the 13 day rule and bring this case to a close. But L didn’t like it. It was too easy. Things were never that easy when it came to Light. Besides, he’d already determined that catching Kira was no longer his objective but saving Light—saving someone who didn’t want to be saved and no longer even _recognized_ him as his friend. 

Light was Kira now and Kira had to be stopped. 

It seemed _so hopeless._

L sighed and reached for more panda crackers but instead the detective’s pale, spidery fingers found Matsuda’s forgotten newspaper. L picked it up between thumb and forefinger as if it was contaminated by stupid-germs. He was disappointed but not surprised to discover that the rookie had only brought the section that contained the funny papers and entertainment. The detective’s large, dark eyes eventually tore away from the cake recipes to focus on the horoscope section—all superstitious rubbish, of course. But then so were Shinigami and yet there one stood in the middle of their headquarters, towering over their work like a white, bony giant, silently watching their every move (L did not like that, not at all.) 

He was a Scorpio apparently so what stupid drivel was supposed to guide the course of his life? 

**Scorpio:**  
_“Truth be told, you don’t always play to win. Sometimes it’s more polite, fair, or kind to let someone else win. You’ll assess today’s opponent with an open heart.”_

Light returned from his chat with Misa with an obscenely confidant swagger. 

“Light-kun?” L called out tentatively. Light’s head whipped around in surprise at the oddly plaintive note in the detective’s voice. 

“Ryuuzaki?” 

“Light-kun, can I talk to you for a minute?” 

“Sure,” Light assented. L noted how the younger man stood, rigidly and with perfect posture, folding his arms across his chest—body language that was at once aggressive and protective. 

L sighed. _I’m his enemy again._

“What did you want to talk about?” Light prompted.

“In private,” L insisted.

 _“Ryuuzaki!”_ came the expected protestation from the taskforce. 

“It’s fine,” Light agreed genially and followed the peculiar detective as he shuffled into one of the observation rooms. 

“So what did you want to talk to me about, Ryuuzaki?” Light asked warily after L made a point to turn off the cameras and shut the door. 

“L Low-Light.”

“What?!”

“My name. It’s L Lawliet." 

Light blinked once, twice, and L enjoyed the sight of the absolute bewilderment played out across the younger man’s face. 

“You are now one of three people in the world to know it.”

“Are you _insane?!_ ” Light exploded. “Why would you tell me that?!”

Light’s confusion only grew as L shoved the newspaper into his hands. 

“I’m a Scorpio. Born on Halloween—that means I get free candy on my birthday!” the detective declared with a sickeningly sweet grin. 

Light just stared blankly at the paper “All because of a stupid horoscope?”

“But given there are such things as Shinigami dictating human fate I figured I had nothing to lose in taking a leap of faith." 

“Who the hell writes this crap?” Light exclaimed but inside there was a tiny niggling doubt. A year ago he had thought that a stupid chain letter notebook was utter crap and look where _that_ got him... 

“I do believe you’re a Pisces?” 

**Pisces:**  
_“A Pisces won’t always approve of what you’re doing but they will never judge you.”_

A trickle of sweat rolled down Light’s temple. _If I tell him it’s utter crap will he accuse me of being Kira?_

“I have come to realize that winning isn’t the most important thing to me,” L announced in an overly-casual monotone. Light jolted and tore his gaze away from the paper and his ironic horoscope. 

“It’s not?”

“No. It’s not. _You_ are.” 

“Ryuuzaki! W-What?! _What are you saying?_ " 

“Light-kun. You are my first ever friend. I would rather die than be forced to kill you. You win, Kira.” 

Light swallowed harshly, unable to stomach such a hollow victory. “I… I’m not…” 

“Please _spare me_ , Light. You know I _hate it_ when you lie to me.” 

Light flinched as the detective drew in close, violating his personal space in order to rest his chin on Light’s shoulder in an oddly intimate gesture. The younger man took a nervous step back and found the wall behind him. It suddenly hurt to breathe; it felt like his chest was being crushed under the weight of some unnamed feeling. He had half a mind to shove Ryuuzaki away and run, just _run_ and not look back. He had his name—he could kill him at any time. Light swallowed again. The detective was evoking such strange feelings in him; part of him wanted to write it down here and now just to make it stop. 

“‘You wouldn’t wish to hurt me even if I was Kira? Even if I _am_ Kira?’ Is that _really_ what you’re saying?” 

“Yes,” Ryuuzaki said in scarcely a whisper, a plaintive note entering his usual monotone. “Light-kun, I would really like to continue our partnership. Perhaps if Kira were to… calm down a bit. Limit the number of deaths and open his work to peer review…” 

“Are you serious, Ryuuzaki?! You would—” 

“Yes, I would rest easier in knowing that Kira wasn’t spiraling into madness. Wouldn’t you? ” 

“And would you make the same offer to Misa?”

The detective’s face darkened in a way that didn’t bode well for the blonde. “No. Just you.” 

“Ryuuzaki… you… you can’t harm Misa.” 

L sagged in defeat. “You _do_ love her.” 

“I love _living,_ Ryuuzaki and I’d I… I think… no, I’d _prefer_ you to remain alive as well.” 

“So… I don’t want to kill you and I take it you don’t want to kill me. So… what to do with you?” 

“Er… well… we… we work well together…”

The detective’s entire face brightened imperceptively “That we do.” 

“So what do you propose?” Light asked, crossing his arms again with a huff. 

“Propose? Hmm… yes.” 

“Ryuuzaki, what are you doing?”

“This is for you.” 

Light froze, stunned as he watched the entire scene play out. L reaching into his baggy jeans pocket, L pulling out that small jewelry box, L squatting down in front of him to pop said box open to reveal the neatly fitted golden band with a small, tasteful ruby in the shape of a strawberry, L handing him the box…. 

For a moment Light had forgotten how to breathe. 

_What the hell is he playing at?!_

“Ryuuzaki… this is an engagement ring.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Light continued to stare like a deer in the headlights. 

“Well, Light-kun? Do you accept my proposal?”

“I… er… it’s nice but it’s all so sudden and…” Light stammered, his body language tense, eyes seeking out all possible escape routes. 

L sagged in defeat. _He really doesn’t remember._

“It’s really, uh… pretty…” 

“Thanks you, Light-kun. But I don’t want your pity. Go off then with your blonde and make stupid blonde babies.” 

“Dammit, Ryuuzaki! I’m not in love with Misa! How did you come to such a conclusion? That’s absurd! And she’s not even a natural blonde!” 

“I figured she must mean _something_ to you given she’s still alive.” 

“Ryuuzaki… Wait. Will you _listen to me?_ You can’t do anything to Misa. And no, I’m _NOT_ in love with her. Honestly, you’re the world’s greatest detective. Can’t you see I hate her?!”

“You hate her?” L asked hopefully. 

“I can’t stand her!” 

“Good….” L breathed and Light gave a startled yelp as L was suddenly hugging him. “But if you truly do not care about Misa then why ask for mercy on her behalf? Surely you must have some feelings for her?”

“I suppose absolute loathing counts as a feeling. No, Ryuuzaki… It’s the _Shinigami_ that’s in love with her. Rem will kill anyone who she perceives as a threat to Misa or Misa’s happiness.” 

“She would have been my death” L murmured and sucked on his thumb in wonderment. “Light-kun… that’s _brilliant!_ ” 

_“What?!”_

Light stared at the madly grinning detective and wondered if he’d lost his mind. “Y-you’re not mad?” 

“That would be like getting mad at a scorpion for stinging you.” 

“And do you intend to sting me, Mr. Scorpio?”

L smirked “Oh, I’ll be stinging you _quite often_ if you allow it, Light-kun.” 

“W-what?! _What the hell are you saying?!_ ” 

L frowned and bit his thumb. “This isn’t an act. You truly don’t remember, do you?” 

“Fine, Ryuuzaki. I’ll bite. What am I supposedly forgetting?” 

Light looked on warily as L tapped a couple of keys on the console, priming footage to be viewed. 

“This. This is what you’re forgetting.” 

“Uh… It’s not playing.” 

“No. It’s not. The play button is there but are you sure you want to know? Here’s the bait but will you be a good little fish and take it? Hook, line, and sinker?”

Light scowled as L stood there, smirking at him. He also found himself blushing and he wasn’t sure why. 

“There’s no going back. That’s what you’re saying?” 

“Light-kun, how much do you remember of these last few months?”

“It’s… kind of a blur,” Light finally admitted. “Things kind of got mixed together.” 

L sighed. “I’ll admit that kind of hurts my ego but given the sudden change in your personality and behavior it’s not like I didn’t expect it. As you know only Watari and I have access to the footage of our private rooms. It mainly consists of scenes like this,” L assured him as Light pushed play.

Light blanched as heavy sex noises immediately filled the room. 

“R-Ryuuzaki! _Damn you! Move!_ ” 

_His_ voice on the tape. 

_“W-Watari?!”_

“Yes. As I explained before, Watari knows everything I do in case I were to die in my sleep. Rest assured that he is professional when it comes to viewing our love life." 

“Love life…” Light repeated dumbly as he stared at the screen. Even more embarrassing was the immediate, intense physical reaction he was experiencing—Light blushed as he felt himself trembling, his ass unclenching upon seeing the footage of L mounting him. It seemed his body remembered what he himself had forgotten. 

“H-How long…” Light panted, in a near-panic at his loss of control. 

“ _Months,_ Light-kun. As you can see we were quite close,” the detective said in a near whisper, his spidery fingers gently brushing the killer’s cheek. Light staggered as a whole other set of memories came flooding back triggered by L’s touch and the images on the screen; memories that had been repressed with the return of his Kira memories. 

“Light-kun… Please say you will be my partner?” 

Light glanced up to find L had planted himself mere inches from his face, he found himself staring into the dark pools of his eyes—as cliché as it was, he felt like he was drowning in them. 

Light grasped the golden ring–L’s proposal. It would get some getting used to again but it was decidedly an improvement over the handcuffs. 

“…Yes,” Light assented and L closed the distance, claiming his mouth with his.


End file.
